The mission of the West Hartford Girls Soccer Club is to make the sport of Soccer attractive and available to West Hartford girls between the ages of 6 and 19 for training, recreation, and competitive purposes.

Development and winning do not have to happen independently from one another

Our misguided desire to win at all costs at the youth levels often comes at the expense of individual player development

This change will cause many parents and coaches to rethink how teams will be formed moving forward and this should take place with each individual player in mind based on his or her developmental needs

The focus moves away from bigger, faster, stronger

Changing to birth year registration doesn’t eliminate relative age effect (RAE) because whenever there is a defined age range, someone will be the oldest and someone will be the youngest

However, this change does help better understand and account for RAE

Parents and coaches should have an increased awareness of a player’s birth month relative to his or her peer group and level of performance

This should help combat focusing on kids that appear to be better simply because they are up to 364 days older than a teammate or opponent

Uniformity across the country and across membership

The current landscape is highly variable

Having uniformity doesn’t mean that all soccer will look the same in all places at all times

It does mean that the soccer community can be better aligned with U.S. Soccer’s player development objectives and we can collectively harness the advantage our nation’s diversity and populations has to offer

A uniform framework also allows U.S. Soccer, and the programs of our members, to provide consistent messaging and education for parents, players, coaches and referees

Aligns with international standards for youth development

This means aligning with the international standards used by the world’s leading soccer nations so that kids in the United States are developing in an environment similar to those playing in Germany, France, Spain, etc.

Small-Sided Games - Development philosophy and playing standards for players 12 and younger

Develop improved skills with the ball

Improve confidence and comfort

Develop intelligence with and without the ball

Promote faster decisions and better awareness Develop partnerships within the team

Provide an age appropriate environment

Standards align with physiological needs of players based on year of birth

Uniformity across the country and across membership

Similar to the outcomes listed for birth year registration, having consistent standards allows U.S. Soccer, and the programs of our members, to provide more meaningful messaging and education for parents, players, coaches and referees